This invention relates generally to farm equipment, and has particular reference to a novel power unit for a self-unloading wagon or the like.
A self-unloading wagon as referred to herein is sometimes called a silage box and is used by farmers for carrying silage and other cattle feeds from the field where it is cut to the silo where it is stored. The wagon has a system of chains and a conveyor which, when connected to a source of power, operate to unload the wagon by depositing the silage in the mouth of a blower that blows the silage up into the silo. The wagon is normally towed between the field and farm by means of a tractor, and the tractor power take-off is used to drive the conveyor mechanism in the wagon.
In many cases, the fields where the silage is cut are so far from the home farm that a truck is used to tow the wagon rather than a tractor because the truck is much faster. However, when this is done, the wagon must be disconnected from the truck at the farm and then connected to a tractor so that the tractor power take-off can be utilized to unload the wagon. After the wagon has been unloaded, it is disconnected from the tractor and once again connected to the truck, all of which is very time consuming and bothersome.
The applicant is not aware of any prior art that has directly addressed itself to the problem outlined above. A preliminary search developed four patents but none is believed to be very pertinent to the present invention. These are U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,916,531; 2,634,870; 2,829,924 and 3,542,102.